WEED OUT BAD DECISIONS

The University refuses to comment extensively on the matter and the
story has somewhat laid low for the past 30 days, but the rejection to
grow medical marijuana on University grounds was a mistake. The plans
of being the state's sole marijuana grower went up in smoke after
University officials turned down this financially beneficial and
innovative move.

As a research university, we are supposed to be groundbreaking, and
this would have been the ideal opportunity - therefore the refusal to
be the first university in the country to grow medical marijuana seems
to be unfounded. According to the Associated Press, private businesses
grow the drug in the 13 other states that permit medical marijuana.
Being on the cusp of researching this newly legalized drug would have
provided more than financial advantages. After all, we have the
resources and Gov. Chris Christie supported the cause - the only
hurdle was the Universities frightened attitude toward losing federal
funding.

"They absolutely came to us. I wouldn't have even thought about it,"
Christie said, adding that he was disappointed when he heard
university leaders say the plan was "unworkable." The governor also
labeled the University officials' handling of the situation as
"disjointed."

University officials said that their decline of the request is because
marijuana's status as an illicit drug would lay on the line federal
funding to the institution.

"There is no way for Rutgers to be involved in this initiative without
violating the federal Controlled Substances Act, which we will not
do," the University said in a statement. "If there is a change in
federal law, a change in the classification of marijuana ... Rutgers
would be willing to re-examine a possible role for the
university."

A bill signed by former Gov. Jon S. Corzine, on his last day in
office, legalized medical marijuana. Why then should we be concerned
with the legality of growing it in a state university? Christie, a
former federal prosecutor, expressed the need for tighter control of
production and distribution because of fears of abuse and illegal
marketability for the drug. So when the idea of having the University
grow the plant and supply it to the state's teaching hospitals, the
lawmakers who supported the legislation backed a move to push the
implementation date to January 2011.

So in the end, it remains a mystery why we turned down this opening.
Perhaps the University has a problem weeding out the bad ideas and
collaborating with the state on a profitable and pioneering move.